Housing Price Declines 18.5% - Time to Buy?

If you are currently looking for a new home or have been on the fence about trying real estate as an investment option now could be a great time.

It is truly a buyer’s market. Home prices are low, there is a large selection to choose from and even new home prices are being driven down by builders eager to scrape up any business they can.

Even though everyone keeps talking about the credit crunch mortgage rates are extremely low. The graph below shows the interest rate of a 30 year mortgage over the last 30 years.

But wait there’s more. With the passage of HR 1 up to $8,000 can be used as a tax credit for first-time home buyers purchasing between 1/1/2009 and 12/1/2009. The credit does not require repayment and will be used to reduce the purchasers income tax liability. If any credit amount remains unused, then the unused amount will be refunded as a check to the purchaser.

From an investment standpoint the picture is a bit mixed. There are certain areas where home prices have been falling, but rents have been stable. This is an ideal situation for an investor to swoop in and make large profits.

However, large metro areas have also seen drops in occupancy rates. If you take the case of Salt Lake City the
apartment vacancy rate went from 3.1% to 6.8% year over year at the end of the fourth quarter for 2008.

As long as you can get renters in you are good, but with vacancy rates rising in some areas it definitely pays to do your homework before you invest.

Pay Day Loans - Legislating Rates

The payday loan industry is enormous at over 85 billion dollars. In 2008 the state of Ohio passed legislation limiting the interest rate to 28% for businesses offering payday advance loans. This puts the interest rate at close to the same rate as a credit card. The state supported this bill by 64%. Proponents of the bill noted that payday loans cause the poor to get caught in a vicious cycle of debt that they cannot escape.

The interest rates on these types of loans ranges from 300% -600%. It is also important to understand the amount of risk involved with this type of transaction for the person lending the money. Given the size of the industry it would seem that there is plenty of profit motive to enter the market and that someone would lend at a lower percentage to pick up more business. However, the only thing to factor in must be the size of risk involved. More innovative online pay day lenders such as those that offer no fax payday loan have actually decided to stop lending in Ohio due to the new legislation.

This limits choice for Ohioans and others in States that limit pay day interest rates. Some have suggested that state level assistance programs may be necessary in the absence of this form of credit.

I’m interested to hear your thoughts on the subject. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Does the new legislation protect those who would otherwise be taken advantage of or is this a necessary service that people depend on that will no longer be an option?

Government Grants to Pay-Off Your Credit Card Debt: Blessings in Disguise

If you are hoping for a miracle in clearing your credit card debts, you will probably wasting your time.

But if you are diligent enough in looking for information in the right places, you might found something that could be very well your small miracle.

One of the small miracles in today’s recession is Federal grants for credit card debt.

What is Federal grants for credit card debt?

In essence, the Federal grants for credit card debt is Government grants that allow you to pay off all your credit card debts, should you meet the criteria and requirements.

The main purposes of this grant are:

• To stop you from drowning deeper into debt by taking new loans to pay off your previously taken loans.
• To help you sustain your credit ratings and reputation.

The best thing of Federal grants is obvious - It doesn’t require to be paid back.

However, there are certain criteria and requirements to be met to be eligible - the first and foremost criteria, you have to be a US citizen, as this grants only apply in the United States.

First of all, you need to know how to apply for one.

How to get Federal grants for credit card debt

In general, the requirements to apply for the grants are as follow:

1. Find the right Government Agencies and seek the information about the Government grants and funding programs - You can find such information from these Government’s sites: CFDA.gov and Grants.gov.
2. Have the needed information ready: proof of income, your loan monthly payments information, and your total amount of loan taken.
3. Along with the information the Government Agencies gather about your financial status, your application is then assessed to determine whether you qualify or not.
4. You will be informed regarding your eligibility, and if you are judged to be eligible, your debt will be cleared as the Government pays off the debt on your behalf.

Beware of scams

Just like anything that involves money, there are some organisations and companies that claim to help you getting the grant you’ve always wanted. They are too smart to know that, these days, people are often acting irrationally to get out of debt as soon as possible, by any means.

You homework is to keep your head cool and rational, while focusing your effort to find the right information. Again, the good places to start are these Government’s sites: CFDA.gov and Grants.gov.

Hopefully this post will help you with an opportunity to have a fresh start and build your personal finance the right way.

Image by Kevin Krejci.